Please enjoy some more beautiful photography by Mauricio Fuertes while I study for my freaking French test and consume some wine.
Mauricio Fuertes encore
↧
↧
A bedroom makeover
This inspiring bedroom makeover comes from French blogger Vincent Layerle...
One of my friends asked me if I could do something with his really old-fashioned bedroom... and of course, I have said YES ! It was a real pleasure for me to try to make this room something special for him. A place where he could sleep peacefully, enjoy watching his favorites movies or just work easier than he did when his Mac was on a tea table (yes, it was exactly like that before I came)... He also wanted more storage units... Yes this friend was very hard to please!
So I have pulled my socks up and I have first built a complete bed... It looks like a platform covered by a parquet floor bleached in a scandinavian way... and he has now a huge drawer to put in all his stuffs... (around 6*6 ft)... To make it cozier I have installed two wool curtains,... He has told me when he closes them, he feels exactly like he was in a boat cabin... and he really likes boats... so a good point for me !
For the bedhead, I have just used 3 Lack tabletops from Ikea. The wallpaper has been found on the french website Elitis. There is an amazing Ikea floor lamp too, just beside the bench storage that I have built like a big boy. 'How' you will ask me (or not... but I will still tell you...) : 6 wood planks covered with an old piece of fabric (found on a deck chair)... Yes it's really easy and yes I am the king of recycling...
The small console-desk has been created using an Ikea Expedit bookshelf...
Finally, the fabulous checked cushions have been created by my dear friend 'Mademoiselle Dimanche', a french fabric designer that I love so much ! (here is her website ... sure you will love too !)
↧
Maggie's Seattle apartment
Maggie (of the blog Maggie Rose) wrote us wanting to share her home with our readers. What makes her submission extra special is that she just did what I really wish I had the balls to do. She is leaving her day job in order to pursue what she is really passionate about - interior design. Here's the scoop from Maggie:
My boyfriend, kitty and I live in a 1907 house turned into apartments and live in the upstairs two-bedroom unit. We've been renting this place for about a year and a half. It's located in the beautiful Queen Anne neighborhood of Seattle, just north of downtown. Many of the pieces in our home are hand-me-downs and budget finds, but I've brought natural elements into each of the spaces along with pretty textiles and some old-fashioned DIY to make it feel like our home. So if you live in the Seattle area and need some decorating help, give talented Maggie a shout!
↧
Honeymoon
It's my niece's wedding tomorrow. I thought I'd give her a virtual honeymoon. Of course I went to Welcome Beyond to find the perfect boutique hotel. How about Ratua Private Island? Seriously sexy. Seriously simple. Seriously the perfect spot for the perfect honeymoon. Congratulations Jane and Chris! You'll just need to pack some swimmers, sarong and maybe a t-shirt?
↧
Reader request - patterned sofas
We received this reader request some time ago from Charly: I am considering a new sofa that is covered with a crazy printed fabric. It is totally amazing but also quite intimidating for me in my small rental apartment that I am just beginning to decorate. Before I take the plunge, I am trying to find images of printed couches to help me decide if I can make it work. Do you have any images of sofas and couches with colorful and/or busy prints on them for inspiration? Since it's been so long Charly has likely already chosen her sofa but I was curious to see what photos I could find in my stash of patterned sofas, as they certainly are not everyone's first choice for such a substantial piece of furniture. But why not - you only live once!
Elle Decor
Hus & Hem
Todd Alexander Romano
Hus & Hem
At Home Interior Design
design*sponge
↧
↧
Design crew
Got a problem? Need some help? Just standing there shaking your head? Don't know what to do? You're not alone. Send us a link to photos of your design quandary and let the Desire to Inspire design crew help you .... that's you lot ... the readers! Kristin needs your help this week. She's a woman with strong ideas on a mission. I know you'll love giving your 2 cents worth :)
I just moved from a small one-bedroom apartment in Manhattan to a 3 bedroom house in Denver. Luckily, my mom is selling her house and I was also to take some furniture with me. My design dilemma comes to us in the shape of an awkward living room. The living room is long and narrow. The entry from the front door is smack in the middle and located on the walls on either side of the entrance are long radiators (i.e. no furniture along one of the two longest walls in the room.) The other long wall is closed with the exception of the entryway into the dining room (about 12 ft wide). The two shorter walls have a fireplace and staircases (one upstairs and one to basement), respectively. What a challenge!
I have decided to create two seating areas separated by the entryway. However, in order to help the room flow, I would like to tie them together (using the existing furniture I have from Manhattan and from my mom - I'm on a budget) by using a navy/lilac color palette. I have the basics - a neutral/ivory sofa, a navy sofa (a very dark ink color), a brown leather chair, a marble top coffee table with a walnut base and disparate wooden side tables.
I discovered a local upholsterer who is selling two British cane chairs. She will reupholster them in any fabric I choose (the frame finish can also be customized). They will be located next to the navy sofa (the ivory sofa, leather chair and marble top table comprise the other seating area in the room). As everything in the room is solid, I would like to introduce a lilac print. I'm looking for a grayish-lilac or khaki-lilac, something neutral to play against the navy.
To tie it all together, I eventually want to buy two matching area rugs and to use throw pillows, throw blankets, curtains etc to help spread the color palette throughout the room. Does anyone have any navy/lilac inspiration for me? Also, can anyone recommend an affordable lilac fabric for the chairs? I've been told that lilac is not a popular color by every single fabric store in Denver (including the Design Center!)
And here is what she has to work with.
↧
The Modern Shop
This is just a quick post to welcome The Modern Shop to our sidebar. I have featured this shop before, back in October when I went to their grand opening (and when it was called The Modern Light). I am always eager to help promote local shops, especially ones as COOL as this because I often complain about the sh*tty selection of shops (for furniture and clothing) here in Ottawa. The Modern Shop is FOR SURE among my top 5. I have to admit I've been avoiding stopping by there lately because they carry such awesome furniture and lighting and I really need to get through my house additions first before I buy more stuff. They carry lines such as Flos, Hay, Modernica, MASHstudios, Moooi, Thonet, Jonathan Adler and MANY more. They'll ship anywhere, and offer free shipping on most orders within North America.
Now I'm thinking maybe I could stop by The Modern Shop today, just for a few minutes....
(I sooooo want a bunch of these....)
↧
Blog favourites of the past couple of weeks
↧
Desert Nomad House
Desert and man-made. Inside and out. Vastness and intimacy. Modern and ancient. Desert retreat, museum and home. It's about location and built environment. Light and shade. A dichotomy of design. Looking in, looking out. Texture, materials and art ... oh the art. The Melanesian statues are to die for. Three steel and glass cubes by Rick Joy Architects, the Desert Nomad House, Tucson, Arizona is listed for sale here.
↧
↧
Monday's pets on furniture - part 1
If you'd like to send us photos to include in next week's "pets on furniture" post, please ensure your photos follow our basic rules: First, the pet must be on a piece of furniture. And said piece of furniture must be clearly visible in the photo, so it takes center stage rather than your pet. Think of it more of a photo of a great piece of furniture that you want to show off...and your pet happens to be sitting on it. And second, the photo must be of decent quality. If it's dark or fuzzy (from a camera phone) then it may not make the cut. Thanks! (Photos, your name, location and a brief description can be sent to desiretoinspirekim@hotmail.com and PLEASE don't send closeups of your pet!)
Normally the pink throw is Lilly's favorite spot to be but she also likes to curl up next to the pillows on my bed. It's hard to resist a power nap when I see her laying around like that.
- Neslihan
Please see 2 pictures of my cat Aalto sitting on a mid century modern credenza. And in one of the photos you can see Aalto sitting next to an Alvar Aalto vase. I named her after Alvar Aalto who is a favorite architect of mine.
- Andy
(Here are) pics of our vizsla Beatrice Bella who has her very own Brizvegas urban dog blog here. As you can see from the following link she loves furniture!
- Gem
This chair was originally stained a dark ugly brown, and (unsurprisingly) it was buried in my parents' basement for more than 30 years. Recently, though, I decided that my dining room needed a blue chair, so I painted it, distressed it, and brought it home for my cat, Roxie. Now she can sit and watch the squirrels in style!
- Andrea (Glen Ellyn, IL)
This chair is a vintage find with a new paint job that Sophie just adores.
- Susan
↧
Monday's pets on furniture - part 2
If you'd like to send us photos to include in next week's "pets on furniture" post, please ensure your photos follow our basic rules: First, the pet must be on a piece of furniture. And said piece of furniture must be clearly visible in the photo, so it takes center stage rather than your pet. Think of it more of a photo of a great piece of furniture that you want to show off...and your pet happens to be sitting on it. And second, the photo must be of decent quality. If it's dark or fuzzy (from a camera phone) then it may not make the cut. Thanks! (Photos, your name, location and a brief description can be sent to desiretoinspirekim@hotmail.com and PLEASE don't send closeups of your pet!)
This is my Boston Terrier pup, Suge, on my favorite chair. The yellow armchair is my favorite in the house - an unidentifiable leftover prop from a TV shoot last year. Suge is our energetic 6-month old Boston. I would say he loves sitting in the chair, but I think he's more into the height it gives him for toy hunting.
- Emily (Covington, KY)
This is a "stranger" enjoying sun on my wicker chair.
- Mano
Ollie, our 1year old yorkie, loves to take a nap on the couch...he also loves to hide from you behind the pillows.
- Erica (Honolulu, HI)
Just wanted to pass along a photo of my new adopted dog Kitty at our home in NYC. She is a 2 year old Maltese with lots of spunk!
- Lindsey
Our italian greyhound Flaca, at different stages of relaxation on one of our sofas. ; )
- Maritere (San Juan, Puerto Rico)
↧
More Katarina Malmström Brown
↧
Yummy like JAM
Smooth like chocolate. Refreshing like sorbet. Yummy like JAM. Jeffrey Alan Marks. It's traditional with a twist. Refined with quirky. Curated and at times a little kookie. I mean a boat on the bedroom ceiling. Cool! Love the first few rooms. LOVE.
↧
↧
Nathan and Brandi's bedroom makeover
Nathan, a photographer in Edmonton Alberta, wanted to share the bedroom makeover that him and his wife Brandi executed - to perfection! It's my favourite colour scheme - and he even included a gratuitous cat-on-the-bed photo. :-)
It's been months in the making. We’ve been working away, slowly but surely, trying to refinishing our bedroom. Unfortunately I don’t have any 'before' pictures, but it definitely didn’t look like this! Picture beige walls, no curtains and black bedding. Horrible.
↧
Jieldé - an obsession - part 2
At just about every moment I can say I have an obsession with something. Back in January it was Jieldé lamps. Now it's Jeffrey Campbell shoes, fashion blogs....and Jieldé lamps. This being the case, I thought I'd feature more photos of this beloved lamp that I still yearn for. (Happy Friday y'all. I have big - ok not really - plans for this weekend. I think I'm going to go to my little sister's new cottage tomorrow to help put together all the Ikea furniture her and her husband just bought and then Sunday I'm hoping to take photos of my finally completed dressing room. I figured if I mentioned it on the blog I'd actually get around to shooting it. Especially since it's going to be torn down and moved to a newly constructed room when the house additions are done. LOL)
Hus & Hem
Hus & Hem
Graham Atkins Hughes
covet garden
Jessica Helgerson
Stuart McIntyre
↧
Fellow Ottawans - your chance to be on TV!!
This is a special blog post for all my fellow Ottawans out there who have always wanted to be on TV and never got the chance. Mountain Road Productions in association with the W Network is planning a second season of the show All For Nothing and they are looking for Ottawa homeowners to participate. Here's the scoop: Each episode pits homeowner against homeowner in a competition to get their homes market ready in just two weeks - and the homeowners do all the work (with help from anyone they can get their hands on, and spending as little as possible). Benefitting from free real estate and design advice (from agent Paul Rushforth and designer Penny Southam), the seller with the highest increase in value at the end of two weeks will win the commission-free listing services of Paul. (In a two week period homeowners have been able to increase the value of their homes by as much as $50,000!!) I caught an old episode the other morning and it looks like a blast! So if you're interested check out this website for the entry form and more details. We also have an ad in our sidebar (see image above) that will take you to their site. Go Ottawa!
↧
Mid century wonderful
I fell off a ladder today and sprained my wrist hence this is a post I had ready to go for next week. One fingered typing is no fun but I know you'll forgive me when you see this gorgeous house. My love to Pia whose Brisbane book launch I am missing as I type.
Is this what mid century heaven looks like? Oh my what a beautiful thing ... stone, glass, wood and steel in La Cañada in the Sierra Madre foothills. But this vintage classic is brand new with interiors cleverly fashioned by Jamie Bush. It's fresh and vibrant and Mad Man modern. Too cool. So hot!
↧
↧
Blog favourites of the week
↧
Richmond stalking
Today's stalking post proudly brought to you by DTI reader Andrea. (Ha! Another stalking addict!)
Industrial brick facade morphs into stylish inner city oasis. Love the multi-nature of this Richmond, Victoria home. Cool, edgy warehouse, classic, at times traditional interior and a walled courtyard that belies the fact that the hustle and bustle of the city is just beyond. This is one property I'd love to see professionally styled and shot for a magazine spread. I don't think the real estate photographer does it justice. Still I'd love to live here! In my dreams. Link here while it lasts. Thanks Andrea.
↧
Monday's pets on furniture
If you'd like to send us photos to include in next week's "pets on furniture" post, please ensure your photos follow our basic rules: First, the pet must be on a piece of furniture. And said piece of furniture must be clearly visible in the photo, so it takes center stage rather than your pet. Think of it more of a photo of a great piece of furniture that you want to show off...and your pet happens to be sitting on it. And second, the photo must be of decent quality. If it's dark or fuzzy (from a camera phone) then it may not make the cut. Thanks! (Photos, your name, location and a brief description can be sent to desiretoinspirekim@hotmail.com and PLEASE don't send closeups of your pet!)
The first is of my cat, Ruby, on our mid-century inspired sofa. The second is of our big girl, Asparagus, on a chair just nabbed up at the flea market last weekend that is taking a turn with that black and white pillow. This is pretty much what they do all-day-long. Ahh, the life of a cat.
- Jenna (Pasadena, CA)
This is my little sweetheart Kaipo relaxing on my favorite reading chair from Anthropologie.
- Shari (New York City)
This is Bernie. He likes to jump up onto furniture and hang out. Whenever I walk into the room, I often find him sitting up on a chair, sofa or bed. I think he likes the higher vantage point. He also likes checking himself out in the mirror.
- Alison
Scout, enjoying the front yard in Sydney's Inner West. This is how a Federation house should be enjoyed... Ikea provided the chair.
- Sarah
↧
More Pages to Explore .....
